A reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, has sent a beautiful and heartbreaking poem into the Irvine Times dedicated to nursing and care staff in nursing homes during the coronavirus outbreak.

The poem, entitled 'My Fear', recounts the poet's own experience of working in a care home during this testing time as the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, affecting the most vulnerable in society.

The reader was moved to write the poem in the knowledge that a lot of nursing and care staff would be struggling to express or write down their feelings about coronavirus.

The poem touches on how frontline workers are coping during the pandemic, and the toll it takes on family life.

You can read the poem below: 'My Fear'

I hold my little children now

I hold them extra tight

Because I know what's facing me

Is a long and tired night

 

I hold my little children now

I hold them extra tight

Because I know what's facing me

Is a long and tired night

 

I turn up and I look around

A smile upon my face

I cannot let them see my fears

Not even a trace

 

I see the stress that's etched

In my colleagues eyes

When they leave their relieved faces

Will say a tired goodbye

 

I'll find out about my patients

Whose ill and who is well

We'll talk about who Is anxious,

If anyone has fell

 

I'll start to do my medicine

Make small talk as I go

I'm careful not to mention

The scary worldwide foe

 

As the night goes on

And the tiredness kicks in

I think about this viral bomb

And I'm scared about the pin

 

That's about to pulled on society

Life will never be the same

Although the enemy is invisible

It has a scary name

 

We're told to wash our hands

And we do until they bleed

Just a semblance of the busy life

We in healthcare lead

 

Morning rolls around

And dayshift wander in

With fearful smiles and weary eyes

Stress behind their grin

 

Another night is over

And everyone is safe

And off I go home once more

Scared just in case

 

I take this home to my family

In case I make them ill

I could decide not to work

But I know that still

 

I'll return another night

To keep my patients well

Our enemy is invisible

But so is my fear as well."